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1 Helena Tulve
L.1_A Short Biography
LL
At the core of Helena Tulve’s music is unceasing change and the associated processes in
time and space, energy transformation, Her music is rooted in simple elementary
impulses, being affected by natural patterns, organicity and universal life energy, which
embraces complexity and contradictions, different conditions, forms and movements. No
sound is excluded from Tulve’s music, and each may find its own time and place therein.
Sound centrality in Tulve's music does not mean only the timbre; it simultaneously
includes melody, intonation tension, harmony and micro-intervals, energetic
transformations ~ creating a sound space where dynamic processes take place on a
temporal axis, She is interested in the perception and apprehension of depth in space-
time. Helena Tulve: "Music composition is, for me, always a meeting with the unknown,
For me, creation is not an activity I already know, but a voyage of discovery into the
unknown, (...) I try to move in a direction where music is more and more linked with
the whole world, all life and thought. Music has its own rules, but behind the rules hide
universal ideas." Tulve’s music moves towards the deepest intrinsic rules of our existence,
reflecting currents, flows, and eddies, and unites the audible world with the inaudible,
‘The energy dynamics of her music melt the fragile and delicate with an unbreakable
primal intensity, looking for a way back to original integrity.
Helena Tulve studied composition with Alo Példmie at Tallinn Music High School and
the Estonian Music Academy from 1989 to 19925 at that time she was Erkki-Sven Titir’s
only student. Thereafter she continued with her compositional studies at the
Conservatoire de Paris under Jacques Charpentier, graduating in 1994 with the Premier
Prix. From 1993 to 1996, she continued at the same institution in the area of Gregorian
chant and traditional music, Various oral musical traditions remain in her field of
interests, She has taken part in Gydrgy Ligeti and Marco Stroppa’s summer courses
(1990) and IRCAM electronic music courses in Paris (2001). Since 2000, Helena Tulve
has been on the faculty of composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
(professor since 2011, vice-rector from 2012 to 2016), and since 2015 she has been the
artistic director of the Estonian Music Days.
In 1998, Helena Tulve’s piece "a travers" was selected as one of two suggested works in
the young composers’ category of the International Rostrum of Composers for Large
Ensembles, and in 2004, her orchestral work "Sula" (Thawing) was awarded the first
prize in the rostrum’s main category. In 2000, Helena Tulve received the "Ela ja ira"
(Live and Shine) scholarship and was awarded the Heino Eller prize. In the 2001/2002
season, Tulve was the resident composer for the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir,
whose commissioned chamber opera "It Is Getting So Dark” premiered in 2004 at
Tallinn City Theatre. For her creative achievements in 2004, she was awarded the
Estonian Music Council's music prize and the Cultural Prize of the Republic of Estonia.
In 2005, she was declared Musician of the Year by Estonian Radio, and in the same year,she received the Order of the White Star of the Republic of Estonia. Tulve's chamber
work "In a nakhe fun yeridah" received the composer's prize at the 2005 Estonian Music
Days, and "Siidamaa" (Heartland) for piano and symphony orchestra received the EMP
2014 composition prize. Tulve was the featured composer at the 2006 EMP festival and
gave international masterclasses. In 2006, Tulve received the Young Artist's Award by the
President's Cultural Fund, In the same year, Tulve's piece "Reyah hadas ‘ala" was
recognised with the Prince Pierre of Monaco Musical Composition Prize, and the
orchestral work "Sula" received the ISCM-CASH Young Composers Award. Helena
‘Tulve has also held master classes at the Gaudeamus Music Week (Amsterdam, 2010)
and the Young Composers Meeting (Apeldoorn, 2010). Ac the Parnu Jarvi International
Summer Festival in 2012, Tulve was composer in residence and gave master classes.
During che 2012/2013 season, Tulve was the composer in residence of the Estonian
National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO). In 2012, she was presented with Ordre des
Ants et Lettres in France and in 2015, she was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit of
Monaco. In 2016, she received the Estonian Theatre award for original music and
musical design for the Theatrum performance of "Delhi tants" (Delhi Dance). In 2017,
‘Tulve was awarded Lepo Sumera Award for Composition and in 2018, the Annual Prize
of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. In 2019, Helena
‘Tulve with her work "In Uncharted Waters" was given the LHV new music award Au-
tasu,
Tulve has been commissioned to write music by the NYYD Ensemble, Eesti Kontsert,
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, ERSO, Vox Clamantis, Hortus Musicus, the U:
Ensemble, the Resonabilis Ensemble, the New Tallinn Trio, Una Corda, Theatrum,
ensemble diferencias, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Munich Chamber Orchestra,
Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Courage, Ensemble Aleph, Deutschlandradio,
Schumannfest Diisseldorf, Fondation Prince Pierre, Seattle Chamber Players, Stockholm
Saxophone Quartet, Nieuw Ensemble, Ensemble Insomnio, Jean Pascal Ollivey,
Catherine Boppe, et al. In addition to the previously mentioned performers, major
interpreters of Tulve's music include Arianna Savall, Taniel Kirikal, Charles Barbier, Anu
Komsi, Eve Kopli, Kadri Hunt, Iris Oja, Tui Hirv, Kadri Tegelmann, Marrit Gerretz-
‘Traksmann, Taavi Kerikmie, Mihkel Poll, Thomas Larcher, Kalle Randalu, Peep
Lassmann, Camilla Hoitenga, Carin Levine, Monika Mattiesen, Alban Gerhardt, Silver
Ainomie, Paul Meyer, Pekka Kuusisto, Mari Poll, Triin Rubel, Juta Ounapuu-
Mocanita, Daniel Meller, Marco Ambrosini, Kristi Mailing, Martin Kuuskmann, Ene
Nacl, Jukka Tiensuu, Riivo Kallasmaa, Virgo Veldi, Reinbert Evers and others; in
addition co the above-mentioned musical collectives, PaukenfEst, Voces Musicales,
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Silesian Sting
Quartet, Ensemble Phoenix, Xasax, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Uusinta, Ensemble
Courage, Yxus Ensemble, Ensemble U:, Vox Clamantis, et al; conductors Olari Elts,
Paul Hillier, Juha Kangas, Paavo Jarvi, Andrei Boreiko, Alexander Liebreich, Jean
Deroyer, Grete Pedersen, Ed Spanjaard, Artyom Kim, Jaan-Eik Tulve, Risto Joost,Kaspars Pucniné, Paul Magi, Eri Klas, Andres Mustonen, Toomas Vavilov, Ulrich Pohl
and others.
Helena Tulve’s compositions have been performed in Europe, the USA, Canada, Asia
and Australia, and at many festivals such as the NYYD festival, BIG Torino (2000),
‘Warsaw in the Spring (2001, 2005), Gaida (Vilnius, 2001, 2010), Les Boréales (Caen,
2002), MaerzMusik (Berlin, 2003), Matrix Herbstfestival (Leipzig, 2003), Klangspuren
(Schwaz, 2003), Forum neuer Musik Kéln (2003, 2010), Icebreaker (Seattle, 2004),
Europamusicale (Germany, 2004), INMF Darmstadt (2004), Culeurescapes (Basel,
2006), ISCM World Music Days (Stuttgart, 2006; Hong Kong, 2007; Mons, 2012),
Davos Festival (2008), Vale of Glamorgan festival in Wales (2008, 2010, 2013, 2015),
Vancouver New Music (2009), Ojai Festival (2009), Gaudeamus Music Week
(Amsterdam, 2010), Music in the Giant (Austria, 2012), Glasgow West End Festival
(2013), Usedom (Germany, 2013), Zilele Muzicii Noi (Moldova, 2014), Metropolis
New Music Festival (Australia, 2015), Spoleto Festival (US, 2017) and others. The
composer has also worked together with video artists and has written film music and
music for theatre performances. Her works have been published by Edition Peters and.
the Estonian Musical Fund, Helena Tulve's music has been recorded for several
collections, amongst them the composer's own three albums, "Sula" (Eesti Raadio,
2005), "Lijnen” (ECM, 2008) and "Arboles lloran por lluvia" (ECM, 2014).